Oshiomhole also assured Edo people that Okpebholo will do everything to justify his election victory when sworn-in
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole has said his candidate, Monday Okpebholo won the Edo State gubernatorial election fair and square.
He made this known while featuring on Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today’ recently.
According to Oshiomhole, contrary to assumptions in some quarters, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate was not backed by federal might.
TheNiche had earlier reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Okpebholo as the winner of Saturday’s Edo gubernatorial poll.
Announcing the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, said that the APC candidate secured 291,667 votes to defeat PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes.
Despite the announcement, many election observers including civil society group, Yiaga Africa condemned the election, claiming it failed integrity test
However, Oshiomhole insisted that Okpebholo did not win through the instrumentality of federal might.
He went on to aim digs at the candidate of Labour Party (LP), Olamide Akpata and his PDP counterpart, Ighodalo.
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He further assured Edo people that the governor-elect will do everything to justify his election victory when sworn-in.
Speaking during the interview, Oshiomhole said: “The candidate of the Labour Party of which Obi is their leader who doesn’t seem to be interested in the party, because he’s more of an obidient, he’s not an institutional person.
“Report says he lost his polling unit to PDP not to us, so if a candidate lost his polling unit to PDP not to us, maybe his attack should be on PDP.
“From Obi’s sitting or hometown in Awka or Lagos, that’s how he arrived at that conclusion because he was not in Benin.
“Only last year, Obi and Atiku were both claiming that they won; two people claiming ownership of one phone.
“Ab-initio, one of them must be lying and yet they were entertained.
“Those who elected Monday Okpebholo are Edo people, Obi is not from Edo State, the PDP Chairman is not from Edo State, Asue Ighodalo is occasionally visiting Edo State, he does not live there.
“He operates from Protea Hotel, he does not stay in his village, I campaigned from my village and I told you that Edo people will not elect a visitor again.
“The election was won by Okpebholo, so he has the mandate of the people and that is what you call legitimacy.
“On the issue of Federal might, Federal might was there in 2016 when Obaseki won, in 2020 APC and Federal government was there under Buhari and he won. Then it was fine that there was no Federal might.
“I believe we won the election fair and square and we thank the Edo people. I know that Okpebholo when sworn-in will do everything possible to justify the huge confidence reposed in him.”
